Determination of Fish Consumption Habits and Preferences of Teachers Working in Bingöl Province

Abstract

This study aimed to determine the socio-demographic and economic characteristics, monthly expenditures, and meat and fish consumption patterns of teachers working in the city center of Bingöl Province. The data for the study were collected through face-to-face interviews conducted with teachers working in the city center of Bingöl between May 2023 and July 2023. According to the findings of the study, the average monthly net household income was calculated as 23984.596₺, the average monthly expenditure was 14906.215₺, the average monthly food expenditure was 5783.475₺, and the average monthly fish expenditure was 436.57₺. It was determined that the monthly fish consumption quantity of the surveyed teachers ranged from 1 kg to 2.66 kg, with an average of 2.54 kg, and they purchased trout from a fixed vendor during the winter months and consumed them baked in the oven, but this consumption amount was not sufficient for them. It was concluded that the tendency of the surveyed teachers to increase fish consumption was more strongly related to the decrease in fish prices rather than an increase in income. In other words, teachers expect a decrease in fish prices rather than an increase in their income to increase fish consumption. In conclusion, increasing the consumption of aquatic products, both in Bingöl and throughout Türkiye, is an important step that could have positive effects on health, and collaboration among various stakeholders is necessary to achieve this goal.